Collaborating for change

The ‘Zero Emissions — Marine Tourism Event’ will see discussions around developments in hydrogen and electric technology.

Held by the Whitsunday Climate Change Innovation Hub and the Coral Sea Academy, the event was the first of many as part of the Whitsunday Healthy Heart Project. 

The project brings marine tourism program partners together to collaborate and innovate to measure and reduce their carbon footprint.

“The Whitsunday Climate Innovation Hub is dedicated to developing and sharing innovative and practical solutions to help the region mitigate climate change, and this event is a wonderful opportunity to share the latest in zero/low emissions solutions,” he said.

Marine tourism operators will be given opportunities to discover how these new technologies can assist with future-proofing their businesses.

One example of these will be the first hydrogen powered renewable energy commercial tourism vessel for the Whitsundays, Rendezvous, developed by Frank Hobson who will be a guest speaker at the event.

“The Whitsundays has the opportunity to lead the way in zero emission tourism showing the world how to travel sustainably,” Hobson said. 

“Given its natural beauty and numerous untouched islands, what better place is there to launch one of Australia’s first hydrogen powered marine vessels and pave the way for a future where travel by sea is emission free.”

Many of the Whitsunday Tourism operators are already Eco-Tourism accredited, some with Climate Action status, showing the region’s commitment to lowering their environmental footprint and to contribute to sustainable tourism.

The event will take place at The Lookout Lounge, Coral Sea Marina on Tuesday 16 November from 10am to 12.30pm.

Attendees must register for the event online, with the event being recorded for viewing online for those unable to attend.

Read on for the current findings from the UN Climate Change Report, here, to see why this event is so crucial.